Bill can hold a sword in his mouth, and in “ Macbeth” he plays Birnam Wood. They support themselves by doing Shakespeare for bands of settlers. Costner is a lone figure in the wilderness, friendly only with his mule, named Bill. The dust clouds have settled after nuclear war, and scattered communities pick up the reins of civilization. The movie, based on an award-winning science fiction novel by David Brin, takes place in 2013. Now he sort of combines them, in a film that takes place in the post-Apocalyptic future like “Waterworld,” but looks and feels like it takes place in a Western. He told that story magnificently in “ Dances with Wolves” (1990) and then did another version in the futuristic fantasy “ Waterworld” (1995). In choosing “The Postman” as his new project, however, Costner should perhaps have reflected that audiences were becoming overfamiliar with him as the eccentric loner in the wilderness who discovers an isolated community and then joins their war against evil marauders. But parables like this require their makers to burn their bridges and leave common sense behind: Either they work (as “ Forrest Gump” did), in which case everyone involved is a genius, or they don't-in which case you shouldn't blame them for trying. It's goofy, yes, and pretentious, and Kevin Costner puts himself in situations that get snickers. There are those who will no doubt call “The Postman” the worst film of the year, but it's too good-hearted for that.

The postman by david brin